I think both sides need to listen to one another as to the concerns of the vaccination. I had genuine concerns about taking it.
I agree. Though I have been arguing for vaccination in these threads, ... I think that, at the end of the day, we ... as a society ... must listen to each other to solve our differences.
It is clear that, in the West, we regard one's body as one's temple ... and believe, ultimately, that noone can take away our freedom to use our bodies as we will, so long as we do not impede or trample the rights and freedoms of others.
What is ultimately occurring now ... is a conflict between personal freedom ... and the safety of the society. It can become hard to judge, particularly in times of crises, where personal rights and freedoms end ... and where societal responsibility begins.
It is clear that there is a cadre of Americans (our neighbors) who are actively resisting getting the COVID vaccines. They obviously have personal reasons for doing so, right or wrong. And, on the other hand, I think that our societal governing officials, placed in positions of power either by those that they represent ... or by God, as may be believed, ... feel that they have a responsibility to do as much as possible to safeguard their constituency (in the main).
So, even though we haven't reached a point where persons are being forcibly vaccinated against their will, ... western societies have advanced toward that line in the sand ... by imposing potential sanctions upon those who don't act as has been recommended to help safeguard society. And so it shall be ... the confrontation of two opposing viewpoints ... until its final resolution.
As a christian, it is obvious to me that God values the individual ... and the community, ... and has left it up to us ... to figure out how to negotiate our commitment to either of the two. God does command that we love one another ... as we love our own selves, ... the two accomplished together.
As I look over the situation we have facing us today regarding the question of vaccination against the pandemic, ... I think that we (as a society) are left with the question ... of how we might prepare for a better outcome ... the next time.
I believe that we will ultimately convince and/or coerce enough persons to be vaccinated ... so that we might reduce COVID to a minimal threat. Hopefully, that will happen before COVID mutates into an unstoppable variant.
We have a lot to consider. Obviously, individuals have personal rights. But, if they
CHOOSE to live within a particular society, ... they also have responsibilities to that society. And, of course, ... some of the dilemma of COVID is circumstantial. It's become my firm belief that if COVID presented in a way more like smallpox, ... there wouldn't be nearly the vaccine hesitancy that we see now.
In the past, even without vaccines, mankind has survived ... albeit with a lot of death and suffering. I'm sure that we will survive this crisis as well.